Thursday, June 17, 2010

2010 World Cup: Day 6


Switzerland 1, Spain 0

Gelson Fernandes scored in the 52nd minute and Switzerland held on from there to pull off the biggest surprise of the first round to date. Spain, the reigning European champion, had won 12 games in a row.

It is a nightmare start for Spain, which arrived in South Africa ranked as the second best team in the world. It will surely now have to win its next two group games to avoid an embarrassing exit before the knockout stages.

SCORE = marcar....................................................NIGHTMARE = pesadilla
IN A ROW = seguidos.....................................-.....RANKED AS= con la categoría de.... ..
KNOCKOUT STAGES = eliminatorias..........-.....AVOID = evitar..
...

Monday, June 14, 2010

Reducing Test Taking Anxiety

Test anxiety is when a student excessively worries about doing well on a test. This can become a major hindrance on test performance and cause extreme nervousness and memory lapses among other symptoms. The following are tips on reducing test taking anxiety.

Being well prepared for the test is the best way to reduce test taking anxiety.

Don't try to learn everything the night before

Try to maintain a positive attitude while preparing for the test and during the test.

Get a good night's sleep before the test.

Show up to class early so you won't have to worry about being late.

Stay relaxed, if you begin to get nervous take a few deep breaths slowly to relax yourself and then get back to work.

Read the directions slowly and carefully.

If you don't understand the directions on the test, ask the teacher to explain it to you.

Skim through the test so that you have a good idea how to pace yourself.

Write down important formulas, facts, definitions and/or keywords in the margin first so you won't worry about forgetting them.

Do the simple questions first to help build up your confidence for the harder questions.

Don't worry about how fast other people finish their test; just concentrate on your own test.

If you don't know a question skip it for the time being (come back to it later if you have time), and remember that you don't have to always get every question right to do well on the test.

Focus on the question at hand. Don't let your mind wander on other things.

hindrance = estorbo............................................take deep breaths = haz respiraciones profundas...................
performance = rendimiento, actuación...........skim = leer por encima.......................................................
tips = consejo práctico......................................skip = saltar
.
focus =centrarse................................................wander = vagar........................


....................................
GOOD LUCK everyone!!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Spanish public sector to strike against austerity plan



Spanish public sector workers are holding a strike in protest against an average 5% cut in pay that comes into effect this month.
The cuts are part of a government austerity package aimed at reducing the country's budget deficit, swollen by almost two years of recession.
The protests come amid a European debt crisis that began in Greece.
Tuesday's strikes have been called by Spain's biggest trade unions.
More than 2.5 million Spaniards work in the public sector, and the trade unions hope hundreds of thousands will join this strike - from hospitals and schools, fire stations and local government...
In May, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced a 5% cut in public sector pay, starting this month. Salaries will be frozen in 2011.
There were also big cuts in public investment and development aid. Some pensions were frozen.
hold a strike = hacer huelga.......................................swollen (VB: swell) = hinchado, aumentar..........
average = promedio...........................................-.........amid = en medio de....................................
come into effect = entrar en vigor.................................trade unions = sindicatos.....................................
austerity package = plan de ahorro..............................join = unirse
development aid= ayuda para el desarrollo..............., investment = inversión
budget deficit = déficit presupuestario
.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

EXAMS, EXAMS... Good Luck!

Watch out pals! Your finals are coming! Remember 1st Conditional:

...................................IF you don't study, you WILL have problems...

Will you need a lucky charm?


Or...
Will you be successful?

Need a rest?

.........lodging = alojamiento

JUNE. Summer is here!


June marks the beginning of SUMMER in the northern hemisphere and the month of the Wimbledon tennis tournament in England.

June is the sixth month of the year and takes its name from the Roman goddess Junno, the goddess of marriage. For this reason, June has always been looked upon as the best month in which to marry:

.....................................Married in the month of roses - June
....................................Life will be one long homeymoon.

Sera monath (Dry month) was the name the Anglo-Saxons gave to the month.

......Weather-lore, beliefs and sayings

'A calm June puts the farmer in tune'

'June damp and warm, does the farmer no harm'.

It is claimed that summer doesn't start until the elder is in flower.

The Red Rose

The flower for June is the
red rose. The red rose is the symbol of: goddess = diosa
look upon = considerar
elder = saúco